Tue05Jan16

Henry Ford’s Gr Grand Son had embraced Hinduism and took name of Mr. Ambarish Das converting from Alfred B Ford.. What he found and fascinated in Hinduism to embrace it.

Ambarish Das may not have been born Indian. His soul is Indian though.

Before he adopted his Hindu name, he was Alfred B. Ford. His mother is the daughter of Edsel Bryant Ford II, son of the legendary Henry Ford (founder of the Ford Motor Company). That makes him a fourth-generation Ford and a part of one of America’s most iconic families.

But this Ford has more on his mind than cars.

While studying at Tulane University, Louisiana, he heard Hindu religious music at the campus record store, for the first time. He broke down on hearing the record. It touched something deep in him. Thus began his involvement with Hinduism.

He married a Bengali girl and has since used his fame and wealth to spread the word of Hinduism and Krishna.
He travelled all over the world with his wife, also a devotee, to spread Krishna consciousness because he says “It is a spiritual science not just for Indians, but for everybody around the world.”“I had a lot of questions when I was growing up. When I was young, I used to wonder how big the universe was, what’s on the other side of the sky, who was God, what was He like – those kind of questions and things”, he said.

“My great grandfather Henry Ford would have been happy to see my lifestyle today, as he was also very interested in spiritual life and Eastern philosophy.
He used to practice yoga daily and read many of the Hindu scriptures. He believed in reincarnation and was a vegetarian. He was also a good friend of Paramahamsa Yogananda.”

So he would have been very happy with the lifestyle I am leading and the things I believe in.“I was looking for meaning in life and hadn’t found it in the faith I grew up in. I experimented and read several religious systems but as soon as I read the Bhagawad Gita, it was like a bell went off.
He said all the things that I was looking for: God is a personality. We have a relationship with God and by restoring that relationship we can go back to the spiritual world.”

“I lived as a recluse in the Rocky Mountains of Wyoming for many years – reading, chanting and cooking vegetarian food.“

“I believe in the concept of ananda – unlimited happiness. Happiness is not something that has a beginning and an end – it is endless.”

“Some people get happy if they go shopping, have a good meal, or do well in an exam, get a job, make some money etc. but how long does the happiness last? It doesn’t last very long.”

Happiness cannot come from sensory objects. It comes from self-realization. It comes from realizing who we are, what is our dharma, what are we supposed to be doing, who are we supposed to be serving.

Once we find that and feel comfortable in that position, then we realize that that position cannot end. No one can take it away. There is no fear involved. That is the beginning of happiness because it is not temporary.

When I married Sharmila that was a milestone for my parents.

They were very impressed with her, she had a PhD, very well educated, accomplished woman and, of course, they love my children, Amrita and Anisha, too.

He assisted in the establishment of the first Hindu temple in Hawaii and also donated $500,000 to help establish the Bhaktivedanta Cultural Center in Detroit which was completed in 1983.

Alfred Ford has made many significant donations over the years which have assisted ongoing projects such as to build the Pushpa Samadhi Mandir. He is also the chairman of the Sri Mayapur Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

Ford also lobbied very hard to have a Vedic cultural centre made in Moscow at an estimated cost of $10 million but it was blocked by the communist government.He has recently bought a $6000,000 mansion to convert it into a temple and learning center in Honolulu, US